Instant Dreams

Wasn't sure what to expect from this one. It's light on information but loaded with thought-provoking dialog and imagery. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. If Terence Malick would have made a film about Polaroid, I'm sure it would look a bit like this one. The pacing takes getting used to, the story and characters are fascinating as they slowly pull you in to their analog world. A real stand out was a Japanese girl that pops up now and again reminding us of our idiosyncratic digital world. A bit heavy on the esoteric side but certainly a remarkable and mesmerizing experience.

This is how you made a documentary. At times I felt like I was watching a Kubrick's movie. This movie was not just beautiful, but also very meaningful. It wasn't just about photography, but for humanity in general. And it was not just a documentary, but a very distinguished piece of art. I felt so happy and I smiled a lot during its screening at Sofia Film Fest. I was impressed by the way life, time and people were presented in this movie.

Slow, ponderous, rambling. A documentary that does no service to its core subject other than to blur an confuse the story of a ground-breaking invention. An ego-massaging exercise for its makers that gets more annoying the longer it drags on.

More a tone-poem than a traditional documentary. What lies beneath the surface of this documentary about the polaroid experience, is a story about how analog still resonates in the current age. We are all looking for tangible authentic experiences and Dr. Land once invented the perfect medium for that.

Where to start with this documentary? Can you even call this a documentary? If you're expecting talking heads about the ins- en outs of a once great company or typical story structure for that matter, you are in the wrong place. There is history in it and Edwin Land plays a big part in the overall story, but it's no History Channel affair. I would say it's about how humanity relates to analog Polaroid photography and what we have lost along the way. The story focuses on Polaroid devotees in the age of digital. One uses these ethereal pictures to bond with his son, another uses it in her art and yet another is on a quest to recreate the secret chemical formula. Each of them has a special bond with analog. There is a girl in Tokyo, who I guess represents the way photography will evolve into the future. I was glued to my seat throughout, taking in the hypnotic scenery, going along for a ride that is best described as ' a dream within a dream'. I highly recommend it. If you enjoy off beat films or have an interest in photography. One of the most interesting things I have seen this year.